According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mel Gibson will appear in the sequel to the wildly successful comedy The Hangover. The Oscar-winning actor and director, who is currently best known for his racist and misogynist rants against his former girlfriend, will cameo as a tattoo artist in the film, which begins shooting shortly:

The sequel will feature the return of Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Justin Bartha who starred in the original as friends trying to piece together a rowdy Vegas bachelor party. This time the location for the partying mishap is set for Bangkok, Thailand.

A source familiar with the production told the Hollywood Reporter that the tattoo artist character is "pivotal" to the plot which features one of the characters going under the needle during a night of debauchery.

The original installment of The Hangover grossed over $450 million dollars worldwide in the summer of 2009, and won a Golden Globe award for Best Comedy. The film is also noted for launching a comeback for scorned boxer Mike Tyson, who's small (hilarious) role in the film preceded a slew of redemptive talk show appearances, a well-received documentary about his career, and a guest spot on Entourage.

Nearly forgotten? Tyson's rape conviction, accusations of spousal abuse, and drug arrests.

It goes without saying that Gibson's cameo in The Hangover sequel could do similar things for his career, at a time when he is desperately in need of a distraction from his personal drama. While he deals with the domestic abuse allegations from his ex and the fall-out from the leaked tapes of his rants, his next film, The Beaver, sits in limbo.

Directed by Jodie Foster,The Beaver's release date has been postponed in the wake of his controversy. Yet Gibson's performance in the film is reportedly strong enough to garner Oscar buzz. With that in mind, a little bit of image rehab from this Hangover sequel could begin a career comeback for the actor.

With the Tyson cameo and now the Gibson casting, the Hangover films appear to be the image rebuilding factory. What's next—John Edwards in The Hangover, Part III?

Read the full story at The Hollywood Reporter.